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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowReigning IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou is getting a new primary sponsor for his ride with Chip Ganassi Racing next season.
Palou, 26, and Ganassi have agreed to a multi-year partnership with logistics company DHL to sponsor the No. 10 Honda car. Terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed.
The move comes as Florida-based DHL looks for a new winning formula after 12 seasons with Andretti Autosport as primary sponsor of the No. 28 car, currently driven by Romain Grosjean and previously piloted by Ryan Hunter-Reay. It’s last time in victory lane as a primary sponsor was 2018, with just five total since Hunter-Reay won the 2014 Indy 500.
“I am extremely proud to welcome DHL to the Chip Ganassi Racing family,” Chip Ganassi said in written remarks “It is an honor to partner with an organization that shares our fundamental values of teamwork, growth, responsibility, and the pursuit of excellence. Together, we are committed to embodying those values both on and off the racetrack.”
The new sponsorship replaces the one-year partnership between Palou and veterans organization American Legion.
“It’s super exciting to announce our new partnership with DHL, a global leader in logistics. Representing such a successful and widely recognized brand is a true honor,” said Palou, a Barcelona, Spain native who also won the IndyCar title in 2021.
“Their iconic yellow and red colors not only stand out, but they also remind me of my native Spain’s colors. As our team looks back at our remarkable success last year, we are eager to carry that momentum forward and aim for a third title with the support of DHL.”
The switch comes at a time when Palou, who also took the racing series’ crown in 2021, looks to reassure his footing amid off-season legal proceedings involving McLaren Racing. Palou was sued by McLaren for $23 million for reneging on plans to switch to the team—something he admitted to doing in court filings due to what he considered “lost trust” that the team would support his Formula One ambitions.
That move followed a separate but related dispute between Palou and Ganassi, which sued the driver in summer of 2022 after he committed to McLaren while it still held an option on his contract.
The dispute was settled in mediation, allowing him to serve as a test driver for McLaren’s F1 team while honoring the final year of his contract with Ganassi. He later agreed to a three-year contract with McLaren that was set to start with the 2024 season, before withdrawing to stay with Ganassi.
The 2024 IndyCar season starts in March with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
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